The Wichita Lineman

On 1 August Faber publish The Wichita Lineman: Searching in the Sun for the World’s Greatest Unfinished Song by Dylan Jones.

‘It’s not just the perfect pop song, it’s almost perfect as an idea, existing outside of the song itself.’ Stuart Maconie

Written in 1968, ‘Wichita Lineman’ is the first existential country song, a heartbreaking torch ballad still celebrated for its mercurial songwriting genius fifty years on.

Part biography, part work of musicological archaeology,The Wichita Linemanopens a window on to America in the late-twentieth century through the prism of a song that has been covered by myriad artists in the intervening decades.

Mixing close-listening, interviews and travelogue, the revered Dylan Jones explores the legacy of a record that has entertained and haunted millions for over half a century.

Dylan Jones is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling biography David Bowie: A Life and the New York Times bestseller Jim Morrison: Dark Star. He is the multi-award-winning Editor-In-Chief of GQ and a former columnist for the Guardian, the Observer and the Independent.

Sign up to the mailing list

By clicking the 'Subscribe' button, you are consenting to be added to Faber's mailing list. You can unsubscribe by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the end of any email you receive. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy.